AuthorTopic: Pros and Cons of Fanime 2017 (Read 3041 times)

Although there are similar threads already, I'd like a general, structured place for feedback.If you have negative comments, make them constructive and related to the convention itself. Not stories about how your friend Brad was a real jerk all weekend.

Pros:

Registration: Simply flawless. Please don't change this system.

Shuttle service: I didn't use it, but those slick looking vehicles looked awesome and I heard many good things about them.

Opening Ceremonies: Loved being front-row for X4's performance in Stage Zero. Staff also promised they would not kick us out of the first row to make room for other staff/guests, and they followed through on that promise.

Fan Panels: CWF and the Anime high school murder mystery panel were great large-group events full of hype (despite, you know, the "human students" being giant cheaters...)

Dealer's Hall: THANK YOU FOR MARKING THE AISLES. The one improvement that I didn't even know I needed. Finding stuff and my friends was 100x easier this year. Kudos to whoever named the Pork Cutlet Bowl aisle.

Adobe Events: I went to the one on Thursday and it was really fun and informative, even for someone like me who doesn't really do digital art. BRING BACK ADOBE FOR 2018!

Artist Alley: I cannot get over the fact of how amazing the artists are. Some of the things they make are better than official merchandise. It seemed like they had a better time in registration this year than previously, so I hope they will continue to be treated well for the great things they do for Fanime.

Cons:

Autographs: Really bad communication there. It is not unexpected for people to wait over an hour to be first in line, so to pop out and say "You need to leave until 15 minutes before it's time" twenty minutes before it starts and take out a sign stating this policy at that time rather than earlier where it would have been the most benefit, it's pretty obvious that people are going to be angry. There was literally no way to enforce this on-the-spot policy other than clearing out the entire hallway, which didn't happen. Instead, we all stood in a disorganized mob by the door since lines weren't allowed, which was even more chaotic. This happened on Friday and I still heard of people complaining about the policy for Saturday's autographs (so lessons weren't learned). This could probably be fixed by issuing tickets to those in line early, so that they will leave until it's time to get an autograph. Fanime will also not have to cut off lines of people who have waited only to be turned away with this system.

Artist Alley: Those first few rows were so badly congested, it was an actual safety hazard. I never even saw the booths in the first three or four rows simply because it was impossible to leave the moving throng of people. There needs to be far more space in the aisles, especially in the front. There looked to be plenty of empty tables in the back of the room that could have been removed for space.

Street safety: I already addressed this elsewhere, but I'll add it here. There should be police presence in the evenings around the blocks with heavy foot-traffic. If I'm walking to the Fairmont to enjoy Fanime-sponsored entertainment, I would hope that I am not harassed on the streets. It happened this year, and it puts me off of going to night panels because I don't feel safe walking outside at night.

Some Fan Panels: Certain panels were not making use of their allotted time. I walked into TWO HOUR panel about 20 minutes late, and the presenter was already done presenting. They even said, "I didn't expect people to stick around this long" (not even an hour into the panel). If Fanime is compensating them with badges, they certainly didn't get their money's worth. The application process might need to be reviewed to make sure people actually have enough content for the hours they're requesting.

The Fairmont: I mean, I didn't stay there personally, but it seems pretty clear that they do not want to do business with the attendees of Fanime. Between cancelling reservations and moving people all over, to making them sign pretty explicit anti-convention policies (yes, room-stuffing is bad and you shouldn't do it, but don't start saying you're actually enforcing these policies AS PEOPLE ARE CHECKING IN. Email ahead of time if you have to so that people can make arrangements). All I can say is that I will never give DTSJ's Fairmont my business, and perhaps they would like it that way.

WHAT? the registration pick up badge area for early reg was a joke dude. no one knew what was going on, the scanners didnt even work, and no one realized there was a printer at each station. i went to the table where you pick the baggies up looking for a printer, and then realized there was a printer at my table, the guy handing out the badges had his hands full of people trying to get their badge, it was SO unorganised. seriously awful. there was no arrows, guidelines or signs printed on how the process even worked. also, people checking badges are awful, i walked up with my badge in plain sight and he nearly grabbed me asking "BADGE?!?!" it was right in front of his face, maybe dont hire 90 year old staff members wtf.

WHAT? the registration pick up badge area for early reg was a joke dude. no one knew what was going on, the scanners didnt even work, and no one realized there was a printer at each station. i went to the table where you pick the baggies up looking for a printer, and then realized there was a printer at my table, the guy handing out the badges had his hands full of people trying to get their badge, it was SO unorganised. seriously awful. there was no arrows, guidelines or signs printed on how the process even worked. also, people checking badges are awful, i walked up with my badge in plain sight and he nearly grabbed me asking "BADGE?!?!" it was right in front of his face, maybe dont hire 90 year old staff members wtf.

other than that, no gripes!

Haha, I guess my experience was different because I was among the first group to get badges on Thursday, when there was smaller lines. What you said is valid, though. Maybe more direction on where to go/what to do, because I was a bit blindsided by the new system for a second. The person manning our table did her job well, so it was only a matter of a couple minutes to be in and out for my group.

I agree with pretty much all the Pros mentioned by Kuudere. I picked up my pre-reg badge first thing Friday, and it was smooth as butter. I will say though that I can see how it could get confusing during busy times with about six computers per one printer and one person to collect the badges from the printer. Maybe it would help if they would prompt each table to form a line to pick up the badges after you print them?

I'll second the recommendation to bring Adobe back next year and I'd even go so far as to suggest making it a permanent partnership. This is exactly what Fanime needed to take it to the next level, in my opinion: a partnership with a relevant professional company, in this case a tech company that makes software useful for people who like anime (and bonus points for being local!)

I loved the setup of the convention center, with a badge check required before going up to the second floor. I don't think ghosting is good for the con, so I'm all for cutting it out. The signage was also very clear and sharp looking. It didn't look like badges were checked when going into the area where the viewing rooms were (or the viewing rooms themselves)...were those officially free?

As always, MusicFest was top notch. I was a little hesitant when a US band was announced as the opener even though they are on a Japanese label, but Phoenix Ash turned out to be very good, and I would gladly see them again. After all it is better to have two bands than one. And of course X4 was amazing.

The panels I saw were great. Glad to see the Awesomely Bad J-Music Videos panel back, and on a whim I went to the Anime to See Before You Die (18+) panel which was also very very good. I liked his presentation. Also at the guest panels, Moderators did a good job blocking ridiculous questions/requests.

I am VERY glad that Clockwork Alchemy is being spun off to a separate location & weekend next year. I feel like attaching it to Fanime has done both conventions a disservice.

Overall, Fanime felt more professional than ever before. Previous years in my view it has always been kind of a mess even though some years it was a better organized mess than others. But the convention really put on its big boy pants this year. Social Media presence and tone was vastly improved. As mentioned before the Adobe partnership was brilliant, and it was nice to see a big presence from Crunchyroll and Viz, Bluefin Tamashii in the Dealers Hall, and official panels for Sailor Moon and Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt: December Sky. (I wish MSGT:DS wasn't at the same time as MusicFest and would have loved there to be an additional screening...but at least it was nice to have options!)

Cons:

The Artists Alley was great, but agreed that the first three rows were a fire hazard.

I got up early on Sunday to see Ultraman X in the Asian Film Room, and it turned out not to be the film, but episodes 1-5 of the TV show. I still like the TV show, but if something is in the Film Room I expect it to be a film unless otherwise specified. On the description, all they would have had to do is write "Ultraman X: Episodes 1-5" or "Ultraman X: TV Show," etc. (Similarly, I expect everything in the Marathon room to be TV episodes unless noted. The Nostalgia room could go either way.)

This next one isn't Fanime's fault at all, but I was disappointed at the lack of Gloomy Bears in the dealer's hall. Every year I've been able to get at least a couple interesting ones. This year, as every year, I scoured the entire hall...but only found a grand total of two, both of which were fairly generic/bland designs.

But none of my complaints are too major. This was my favorite Fanime to date, and I really hope that this year is an indicator of how Fanime is moving forward.

also, people checking badges are awful, i walked up with my badge in plain sight and he nearly grabbed me asking "BADGE?!?!" it was right in front of his face, maybe dont hire 90 year old staff members wtf.

Most of the facilities staff who were checking badges were great. However, yes, there was ONE older gentleman who was an asshat. Did the same thing, I'm holding my badge out in plain sight so he can see it easily, and he puts his hands on me. I tell him very calmly, "Don't set your hands on me, brother" and he didn't know what to do except continue to look at my badge and move aside. Everyone else was fine, and went as far as to complement me a couple times.

As for badge pick up, as was said, it really depended on how aware the person at the printer at your table was. Overall I REALLY liked the self-service system and hope it comes back next year. I'm sure if they keep it as it is and everyone is more familiar with how it will play out, then it'll be even smoother.

Frequent Fanime attendee and volunteer here. I've been attending this con for about 5-6 years and loving it; after some folk in the volunteer room started asking staff and volunteers alike for their opinions and suggestions for the con, I decided to make a list to post here concerning the Areas, Events, and General convention issues.

Areas:Registration:Registration was wonderful this year - no Line-Cons from Thursday through Monday. The machines they brought in had a incredible effect on speeding up the process, and are definitely something that should become a mainstay of the con. I did notice however that the lines for pre-reg and special reg had become merged this year, which was throwing many people off. Going back the the previous three-line rule of at-con, pre-reg, and special reg would help.Also, it would be better to have all relevant material sorted and ready for the bags at the main stuffing station, rather than having them stuff everything but the orange slips, then sending the bags halfway across the room to be stuffed a second time. While the bags are beings stuffed, the room maps for the Artist Alley and Dealers hall that you find being given away in those rooms would be useful to include as well.One final thing I've noticed at the con and here afterwards, are people who believe the single-days to be too expensive, as they want to go for more than one day, but not for the entire weekend. Personally, I think that's what the weekend badge is for in the first place, but if Fanime could make it work, then having two-day or three-day passes for sale would definitely boost attendance and the funding for next year.

Artist Alley:Artist Alley is one of the main reasons I keep coming back year after year; I loved seeing my favorite artists from previous years, as well as new ones I would like to see show up in the future. Reaching these artists was difficult though, due to the massive crowds clogging the pathways. This was frustrating to deal with, and quite possible something a fire marshal could write the con up for. I recommend instituting one-way pathways through the center of each aisle, focusing traffic into specific directions and patterns, and spacing the aisles out a bit, as there seemed to be plenty of room at the far end of the Artist Alley. The division between walk-space and boothgawking-space could be marked by tape, same as with the express routes outside Stage Zero in the main hall.Also, it's often difficult to see which artist is which, and in which alley they're in. I know the booths are marked (useful), but with the crowds those numbers are almost always obscured; we have the Artist Alley map in the back of the room (also useful), but not everyone knows they're there, and spares are always in short supply. I recommend placing the booth numbers on top of the booths, making them easier to see from the crowd, and marking the artist aisles by the hundreds - in a sense, they already are, but having a sign above or in front of each aisle that says "AISLE 1200" or so would definitely assist in navigation.

Dealers Hall:As always, Dealers Hall was fun to cruise - whatever you want at Fanime can usually be found there. I'm not sure if my memory is playing tricks on me, but there seemed to be more food booths at the back than on previous years, which was good - the idea of bringing in more food booths and tables for a makeshift Fanime food court sounds appealing to me. I'm sure if you spoke with the businesses that frequent this area of the hall, they'd know people who would happily come for the con. Naming the aisles was a stroke of genius, which makes finding vendors easier than previous years; this is definitely something that should be continued.

Gaming Hall:Gaming Hall this year saw the return of the Jumbo Jenga blocks, the arcade machines, and tournaments galore, but at the e-gaming section select consoles seemed to be missing. I remember the xbox and a few playstation consoles were missing Friday (not sure if this was fixed the following days), and virtually all of the PCs supplied by the AFK Gamer Lounge weren't playing. To boot, at e-gaming I found myself unpacking containers to see material meant for the board game section, and vice-versa. Better marking and tracking of what's where, and where it's being put would help staff and volunteers alike. Beyond that, everything else went smoothly, and I enjoyed seeing people's enthusiasm for the tournaments, which we should definitely have more of (Catan should be added, in my opinion).

Events:Swap Meet:Swap Meet could use more nights - I'm not sure if we only get that area for two nights, but extending it to three or more would make it another fan favorite in my opinion. Seeing the amount of open space there, a few more areas could be added to make the swap meet more interesting, such as an area were people could actually bring items and swap them, as opposed to the flea market setup that actually dominated the Swap Meet hall.

Black & White Ball:As always, the ball was a blast - seeing the proposal was a bonus, and I loved meeting new people there (shoutouts to the Stormtrooper, who is a legend amongst volunteers and staff; if you're reading this, you're awesome). It was a shame we lost the Tech's room for dancing, as that dance floor definitely felt much bigger than what the Marriott had to offer. I recommend the con shuffles around rooms a bit, and possibly ask the Fairmont and other neighboring hotels and venues if they have a dance floor sufficiently large enough for our use.Also, the dance-type sign on the wall this year included no listing as to what the next dance type would be, as previous years did. I always found that useful, as it allowed me and others to prepare for what dance type was coming up, and to react accordingly. If the people in charge of the Black & White ball could reinstate that, the ball would be perfect again.

Speed Dating:This was my first year making it into speed dating, and I was rewarded with a hell of a good time. Talking with everyone, laughing, learning about new books and music - it was a blast. My only complaint is that it seemed like a good chunk of the other matches were from different areas (I met one from Tahoe of all places), which is going to make it more difficult to find a match. People come to Fanime from all over, and if matching sessions could roughly be sorted by geography, I fell that would make it easier for everyone.Beyond that, the online sign-up option was a very smart move, which should be continued for future years - It definitely feels less intimidating for both genders to sign up and wait for a lottery result, than in two very disproportionate lines (No joke - last year we had women coming around the corner and very quickly backpedalling at the sight of the whole mess). All I can really request besides the geography bit is a longer open period for signing up online (24 hours? Really?), and more matching sessions.

In General:Hotels and Con Space:As most of us know, Fanime is growing, and has been steadily, and sometimes quite rapidly, growing every year. The McHenry Convention Center has for years been the mainstay of the convention due to it's size, convenient location, and overall ability to host the con. While I definitely don't advocate leaving the place anytime soon, it's becoming more and more obvious that the Center alone, even combined with the Fairmont, isn't big enough to solely house the con. I remember the first year I came to Fanime, when I arrived for Clockwork Alchemy's first year (It was the whole reason I attended back then, actually). The fact that con-goers were able to move between two different areas for what essentially felt like one large on was impressive, and something that inspired my feel for Fanime ever since. Every year, we take over the Convention Center, the Fairmont, the City National Civic, (formerly) the ballroom at the Tech - we effectively run downtown San Jose when we arrive. If FanimeCon wants to not only maintain the current amount of people and events it already hosts, but to grow to accommodate new ones (and let's face it, we are growing), then we need to reach out to more of the hotels and businesses in the area to compliment our accommodations.

Security:Security is always a concern at events these sizes, and I'm happy to see Fanime addressing attendee concerns over the amount of ghosters and con-jumpers we've been getting. Moving the badge-checks downstairs near the entrance was a good move that cuts down on the amount of staff needed for badge-checking, and ensures better screening of the people who enter the building. What would improve on this in my opinion would be to post the badge-checkers at all the entrances to the convention center, so that we could secure the lower levels as well as the upper ones.One point of major concern however, is that once someone left the Convention Center, their protection effectively ended. This year, agressive vendors hoarded the front yard, and made transit extremely difficult. Also, while most of us know San Jose has been becoming more and more like Los Angeles every year, the amount of vagrants clustered around downtown seals it. People actively stated at con that in some areas, it didn't feel safe wandering around outside (especially if they were a female cosplayer). I didn't see as many SJPD officers as previous years, whose presence does help, both in reassuring our fellow con-goers, and deterring creepers and undesirables alike. Formally asking them back, and in larger numbers would help Fanime keep the peace in and outside the convention center.Also, while I noticed rovers around the main hall previous years, I didn't see quite so many this year. If Fanime could send them out again in force, and possibly have them patrol the adjoining areas outside the convention center, then I'm 99% certain all our con attendees would feel completely safe.

Volunteering:One of the main things I arrive for every year, volunteering is a great way to experience more of the convention, as well as to interact with staff, and possibly earn my registration money back. The staff members in the volunteer room are great people, and very good at helping you find tasks suited to your liking, and to get you the most hours in that area as possible. It should be noted, however, that when you go to registration to pick up your badge, volunteer opportunities and where to sign up for them aren't always apparent. This year, no one at registration could initially tell me if the volunteer room was in the same spot it was previous years, and after initially helping out for several hours at the registration area, I was asked where the volunteer sheet was (despite them not directing me to the volunteer room first). If a sign could be placed at or near the registration area and/or front hallway detailing the existence of volunteer opportunities, and where to go for them, that would help both con-goers and staff alike.Concerning food for staff and volunteers (which I remember Fanime staff wondering about), the convention did just fine - it's only around Monday or Friday evening that supplies start to run low. In this area, I recommend simply buying more of the same - actually, maybe not the same. Healthier items besides ramen and cookies would be better, and a deal with the food booths around the convention center interior could be reached to help with this. I know there's a great asian supermarket at most two blocks away, and in the spirit of Fanime food, they could possibly be counted on to supply us for next year's con.

Beyond that, there's not much else to mention. I didn't go to any panels this year, so I'm not qualified to review those (I'm sure they were great though). Overall, four stars out of five, and I'm really looking forward to next year's convention!

Registration this year was awesome. I think the self check in should make line con a thing of the past.

Artist Alley was definitely extremely crowded. It felt like half the attendees for the con was packed in there shoulder to shoulder.

The autographs this year took me by surprise. We arrived after around half an hour later, and one of the staff members told us that there was a 100 person limit. I was wondering what were the voice actors going to do for the remaining half hour? If there was going to be a limit I would have got up earlier and waited in line.

Maybe cause I'm a guy, but I walk around at night in cosplay and over the years I don't ever remember getting harassed in anyway. Some bums asked me for money, but that was about it.

omg yes this year for the register line was amazing, it reduced my wait from 7 hours last year to 45 minutes! and a suggestion I had would be for on the app to have the vendors/booths labeled with their number and their name so it would be easier to find.

also, people checking badges are awful, i walked up with my badge in plain sight and he nearly grabbed me asking "BADGE?!?!" it was right in front of his face, maybe dont hire 90 year old staff members wtf.

Most of the facilities staff who were checking badges were great. However, yes, there was ONE older gentleman who was an asshat. Did the same thing, I'm holding my badge out in plain sight so he can see it easily, and he puts his hands on me. I tell him very calmly, "Don't set your hands on me, brother" and he didn't know what to do except continue to look at my badge and move aside. Everyone else was fine, and went as far as to complement me a couple times.

As for badge pick up, as was said, it really depended on how aware the person at the printer at your table was. Overall I REALLY liked the self-service system and hope it comes back next year. I'm sure if they keep it as it is and everyone is more familiar with how it will play out, then it'll be even smoother.

also, people checking badges are awful, i walked up with my badge in plain sight and he nearly grabbed me asking "BADGE?!?!" it was right in front of his face, maybe dont hire 90 year old staff members wtf.

Most of the facilities staff who were checking badges were great. However, yes, there was ONE older gentleman who was an asshat. Did the same thing, I'm holding my badge out in plain sight so he can see it easily, and he puts his hands on me. I tell him very calmly, "Don't set your hands on me, brother" and he didn't know what to do except continue to look at my badge and move aside. Everyone else was fine, and went as far as to complement me a couple times.

As for badge pick up, as was said, it really depended on how aware the person at the printer at your table was. Overall I REALLY liked the self-service system and hope it comes back next year. I'm sure if they keep it as it is and everyone is more familiar with how it will play out, then it'll be even smoother.

By any chance was this older gentleman in steampunk gear?

Nope, he was in the convention facilities stuff like most others. Wasn't really a huge deal, but it was pretty damn unprofessional since I always wait specifically to give them a chance to verify my badge - not like I run through the gates.

Registration:I picked up my stuff at Clockwork Alchemy. Short wait and no problems at all. It's gonna be sad not to have this option in the future. I hope you'll be able to add more lines and printers to make up for this.

Shuttles:Excellent overall. All the drivers were very nice. I only experienced one unpleasant incident. I and some others somehow wound up on a "roaming" shuttle (one that traveled to all the various hotels) without knowing that it was roaming. We stayed on board when it stopped and left the convention center expecting that it would go to the Fairmont next. Nope! It took off to another hotel. Fortunately, the driver let us off as soon as we noticed something was amiss and we walked to the Fairmont. Roaming shuttles should be labeled as such. This shuttle was labeled as just a regular shuttle.

Autographs:If people want to line up 3 hours early to secure a spot for an autograph, they should be allowed to. First come first served is the only fair way to decide who gets an autograph. And if anyone suggests that attendees are wasting their time by waiting in line, my reply this: Who are you to decide how people ought to enjoy their time at a con? I bring this up because I was at the Ito and Ishikawa signing on Saturday. As already stated in this thread and elsewhere, that was a mess. Asking people to go somewhere else and "enjoy the con" and come back 15 minutes before the start is what caused the massive hallway pile-up. In the future, give people the option to line up however early they want, and put this line in a location where it won't be a fire hazard, like outside.

Panels:Is it true that panels are only supposed to be 50 minutes, not the full 1 hour? If so, then please label panels that way in the guidebook, e.g. 3:00-3:50 pm instead of 3:00-4:00 pm. I think some panelists were unaware of the cutoff time and used up the entire hour, causing the next panel to start late due to the time needed for attendees to clear out and enter.

For the staff:Do you share suggestions with the panelists that people write on the comment cards? I'm asking because I left criticism last year about the way a certain panel was run. The way they organized the panel was slightly unpleasant to the attendees, and the same exact thing happened again this year.

I would like to see greater industry presence, especially from Viz Media, which is a local company. Yay for supporting local! I'm surprised Viz doesn't have a booth at this event. I'm also surprised that their Shonen Jump Podcast panel on Sunday wasn't labeled as an industry event in the guidebook. I'm sure more people would have attended it if it were. I think it's great that Carl Horn from Dark Horse makes the trip to Fanime from Oregon.

I have no problem keeping the upstairs area locked up for badge-holders only. That also has the added benefit of not needing staff at all the doors checking badges.

Panels:Is it true that panels are only supposed to be 50 minutes, not the full 1 hour? If so, then please label panels that way in the guidebook, e.g. 3:00-3:50 pm instead of 3:00-4:00 pm. I think some panelists were unaware of the cutoff time and used up the entire hour, causing the next panel to start late due to the time needed for attendees to clear out and enter.

For the staff:Do you share suggestions with the panelists that people write on the comment cards? I'm asking because I left criticism last year about the way a certain panel was run. The way they organized the panel was slightly unpleasant to the attendees, and the same exact thing happened again this year.

Panelists are told in the signup process and the check-in process about the time procedures. A staff member at the door or the back of the room holds up yellow and red signs to signal the end of the panel, though the timing of this seemed inconsistent, and didn't line up with the "start on the hour, end at :50" timing that panels were supposed to have.

As for the feedback, either my panels last year didn't get any feedback or it was not shared with me. No word yet this year on feedback. Do you have a way to contact the panelists more directly for feedback? I know that I give out my social media information so that people can find my Powerpoints after the show, and people tend to advertise their panels, and I know that at least I welcome feedback, so you might be able to find the panelists and contact them about it.

also, people checking badges are awful, i walked up with my badge in plain sight and he nearly grabbed me asking "BADGE?!?!" it was right in front of his face, maybe dont hire 90 year old staff members wtf.

Most of the facilities staff who were checking badges were great. However, yes, there was ONE older gentleman who was an asshat. Did the same thing, I'm holding my badge out in plain sight so he can see it easily, and he puts his hands on me. I tell him very calmly, "Don't set your hands on me, brother" and he didn't know what to do except continue to look at my badge and move aside. Everyone else was fine, and went as far as to complement me a couple times.

As for badge pick up, as was said, it really depended on how aware the person at the printer at your table was. Overall I REALLY liked the self-service system and hope it comes back next year. I'm sure if they keep it as it is and everyone is more familiar with how it will play out, then it'll be even smoother.

By any chance was this older gentleman in steampunk gear?

Nope, he was in the convention facilities stuff like most others. Wasn't really a huge deal, but it was pretty damn unprofessional since I always wait specifically to give them a chance to verify my badge - not like I run through the gates.

Last year I had an issue with an older gentleman checking badges (one of the con center staff) who made an inappropriate comment to me as he was checking my badge. I told the con about it (thankfully I remembered to note the time and location of the incident at the time) and was told that appropriate action was taken against the employee. I hope it wasn't the same older gentleman. If you can remember the time and location of the incident, they may be able to locate him, since touching attendees is very much inappropriate.

Last year I had an issue with an older gentleman checking badges (one of the con center staff) who made an inappropriate comment to me as he was checking my badge. I told the con about it (thankfully I remembered to note the time and location of the incident at the time) and was told that appropriate action was taken against the employee. I hope it wasn't the same older gentleman. If you can remember the time and location of the incident, they may be able to locate him, since touching attendees is very much inappropriate.

Ah, it really didn't irritate me enough to pay it much mind once I got to the top of the stairs. It was Sunday sometime, at the main convention center entrance.

Last year I had an issue with an older gentleman checking badges (one of the con center staff) who made an inappropriate comment to me as he was checking my badge. I told the con about it (thankfully I remembered to note the time and location of the incident at the time) and was told that appropriate action was taken against the employee. I hope it wasn't the same older gentleman. If you can remember the time and location of the incident, they may be able to locate him, since touching attendees is very much inappropriate.

Ah, it really didn't irritate me enough to pay it much mind once I got to the top of the stairs. It was Sunday sometime, at the main convention center entrance.

Well, if it didn't bother you that much, that's good. I still would have reported it, since you never know who else the employee might have touched without permission. Hopefully it was just you he didn't touch anyone else.

I didn't have any problems with the badge checkers this year, thankfully, but the ones over on the Hilton side were /really/ scrutinizing my badge, which is fine when it's slow, I guess, but looking back it seemed excessive. There was a point where I took my badge out of my bag and held it up in one single motion, meaning that the badge was upside-down as I was holding it (as I did pretty much all weekend), and I was stopped because the checker couldn't figure out what my badge was until she realized that it was upside-down. Not a big deal (nor a complaint), just something I noticed.

Reading through the thread, I see some complaints about the crowds in AA, and i would have to agree. It was very difficult to navigate at times, especially around intersections. Either creating more space between the rows of booths somehow (get rid of a row and spread it all out more maybe?) or creating spaces marked out with tape directly in front of the booths so that people know that there's a walking area and a standing area for buying things might help. Intersections were the worst because there were people trying to come from all four directions at once and it caused everyone to come to a standstill, though I'm not sure how to improve these.

Overall, though, this is one of the better-organized Fanimecons I've been at, so props to the staff for that! Reg went off without a hitch (went early Friday morning), and everything seemed very smooth. Some improvements can still be made, of course, but I have no real major complaints this year.

Panelists are told in the signup process and the check-in process about the time procedures. A staff member at the door or the back of the room holds up yellow and red signs to signal the end of the panel, though the timing of this seemed inconsistent, and didn't line up with the "start on the hour, end at :50" timing that panels were supposed to have.

As for the feedback, either my panels last year didn't get any feedback or it was not shared with me. No word yet this year on feedback. Do you have a way to contact the panelists more directly for feedback? I know that I give out my social media information so that people can find my Powerpoints after the show, and people tend to advertise their panels, and I know that at least I welcome feedback, so you might be able to find the panelists and contact them about it.

The signal sounds like a good idea, though it seems like it would be more straightforward just to hold up a sign that says "5 minutes left!" instead of using colors. None of that matters if staff doesn't display the sign at the right time though, so I guess that's something they need to work on.

I don't have a way to contact the panelist. I think they displayed their contact info at the beginning of the panel but I didn't think to take down the info. Oh well. Next year maybe!